Rufolo Reviews: A Witch in Time by Terry Deary I was overjoyed when I got this one from Book Cycle at Exeter Respect Festival. Being a huge fan of Horrible Histories, I was really looking forward to reading one of Terry Deary’s stories, but this one fails to bring the past to life. Don't get me wrong, it's a decent children's book, but it could have been so much better! So a girl from the Middle Ages is accused of being a witch, then discovers that there is actual witchcraft in the village and a book of Black Magic transports her to the nineteen eighties where she meets a girl her age hiding from school bullies. They help with one another's problems, travel back and forth in time and have to defeat the villains. Let's start with the positives; Sharon, the girl from 1987 is a pretty well-developed character. You can sympathise with her, she has her flaws and she changes as a person as the book goes on. Some of the villains are quite sinister as well, but the other characters are just okay. Same applies for the writing - not great, not terrible, just okay for a children's book. The story is fine, but it's not especially exciting or anything. You know what this book could have used? Some humour! I mean, who better to write a fun children's book with great time-travel jokes than the author of Horrible Histories?! He just misses opportunities to make the reader laugh. Admittedly this is one of his earlier books and it's not a completely dry read, the characters are likeable and there is a sense of dark intrigue. In places it is kind of fun, just not funny. So why three stars instead of just two? 1: There's a nice surprise at the end. 2: A ten year-old girl I know, who wasn't much of a reader, was very interested in this book, so I gave it to her in exchange for a hug. :)